


campfires on the lakefront

by chennieforyourthoughts



Series: the captain and his crew [7]
Category: NCT (Band), Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Park Rangers, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Biologist Lee Minho | Lee Know, Campers NCT Dream, Crack? Crack., Intern Mark Lee (NCT), It's Another Summer Camp AU Yeet, Jisung and Hyunjin are just tagging along, M/M, Park Ranger Bang Chan, Park Ranger Kim Seungmin, Park Ranger Kim Woojin, Park Ranger Yang Jeongin | I.N, Veterinarian Lee Felix, Veterinarian Seo Changbin, lots of tolkien references, national parks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-21 17:49:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14920029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chennieforyourthoughts/pseuds/chennieforyourthoughts
Summary: “Merrryyyyy!!!” Chenle screamed, clinging fast to the tree bark. Down below, Jisung stared up at him in disbelief as the mountain lion drew closer.“THEY CAN CLIMB TREES, IDIOT!”...But that is not where this story begins. No, that is not close to the start of summer, and to see that, we will have to go back in time.Welcome to White Falls National Park, home of the camp Summer 127.





	campfires on the lakefront

**Author's Note:**

> summer? woods? chaos? what could possibly go wrong?
> 
>  
> 
>   
>  [(Fanfic Disclaimer + More ♥)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chennieforyourthoughts/profile)  
> 

_“Merrryyyyy!!!”_ Chenle screamed, clinging fast to the tree bark. Down below, Jisung stared up at him in disbelief as the mountain lion drew closer.

“THEY CAN CLIMB TREES, IDIOT!”

It was then that the large feline overtook them, and Chenle hid his face in his arm with a squeak.

But that is not where this story begins. No, that is not close to the start of summer, and to see that, we will have to go back in time.

 

Welcome to White Falls National Park, home of the camp Summer 127.

 

⚓ ⚓ ⚓ ⚓ ⚓ ⚓ ⚓

 

“Where are we headed?” Chenle asked for the third time that hour. At the front of the bus, Donghyuck rolled his eyes.

“Section 9 of the White Falls National Park!” He shouted again. “If you had any brain cells, then you might remember!”

“Don’t mind him,” the boy next to Chenle instructed him. Chenle hadn’t noticed that he was listening, given that he’d had earbuds in for most of the trip. “He’s just grouchy because he hasn’t reached his boyfriend yet.” The boy grinned in a conspirical way, and Chenle found himself drawn in by his friendly disposition. “I’m Jeno.”

“Chenle,” Chenle said, and Jeno nodded.

“It’s your first time at camp then?”

“Yes,” he replied, “You must have gone before.”

“Yup, every year for the past five! Donghyuck up there— the grouchy one— has gone for the past four, and he’s been pining over Mark for every one of them.” Jeno pointed up to the front, and Chenle looked where he was directed. He couldn’t see much besides a smaller boy with a shock of red hair seated in the second row from the front. He wasn’t alone— a boy with pale brown hair was next to him, and they were sharing something on one of their phones with each other. “Heard they finally worked things out last summer. Mark’s an intern at the station— he runs the park’s radio. He’ll be chaperoning us; but don’t worry, he’s great! He always sneaks us candy.”

Chenle blinked at him, unsure of what to say in reply. “Is that…. is that legal?”

“Oh! Yes, don’t worry, they’re legal. They started dating before Mark’s eighteenth birthday— Donghyuck even went to Canada for it!” Jeno laughed at Chenle’s shocked expression.

“That’s. Wow. That’s serious.” Chenle looked across Jeno to the window, and the forest racing by outside. It was mostly evergreens, and the mountains, although no longer snow-capped, rose with majestic stature behind the glass.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Jeno asked, smiling at Chenle again. “Don’t worry, we’re almost there. We passed the park gates ten minutes ago.”

“We did?!” Chenle looked wildly around, making Jeno chuckle. It was loud enough that the boy in the row in front of them turned backwards to see what the fuss was about.

“Hey, what’s up?” Jaemin asked. Chenle jumped when the raven-haired’s head appeared suddenly between the two seats.

“Nothing much,” Jeno replied, taking advantage of the chance to ruffle Jaemin’s hair. “Feeling nosy?”

“Always! Who’s this?”

“This here is Chenle!”

"Aw, he's really cute!" Chenle couldn’t help but smile back when he was smiled at.

“It’s his first time at the camp, so I’m hoping we can give him a proper first time.”

“Ayy, maybe Mark can give you one of his cherry bombs!”

"One of his WHAT?” Jeno and Jaemin laughed as one, and Chenle swallowed hard. He wasn’t certain his eyes had ever been wider than they were at the moment.

Truth be told, they’d end up getting _much_ wider over the course of the next two weeks.

“They’re fireworks he makes himself in the camp shed,” Jaemin clarified, and Chenle breathed a sigh of relief and mentally crossed his fingers. “He promised to teach us how to make them this summer! But hey, Jeno, is Jisung still single?”

“I’m not sure we should be endorsing this, but yeah,” Jeno replied, and although his words were slightly cautious he was grinning broadly. “Yeah, he’s still single. Chenle,” he said, leaning in towards the newcomer, “Let me just say that Jisung is seventeen, cute, fit, and an amazing dancer.”

“Basically, what he’s trying to tell you is that if he wasn’t already taken, Jeno would definitely consider Jisung.” Jaemin winked, and Chenle felt the blood rush to his cheeks. “Isn’t that right, babe?”

Chenle choked, and heard it mirrored behind him— little did he know that Jisung had been listening to the entire conversation, since Chenle had asked where they were headed for that third time.

Little did he know that it was because Jisung had watched him climb onto the bus and thought he was one of the cutest people he’d ever seen, but that realization of Chenle’s would come later.

“Yes, babe,” Jeno replied. “I do appreciate a good dancer.”

“I know, look at me!” Jaemin smirked, and Jeno rolled his eyes in the most dramatic way.

“You’re too much sometimes, you know that?” Chenle looked back and forth between the two like a ping-pong match.

“Not as much as Hyuckie, though!”

“Oh god, not as much as Hyuckie.” At that, the boy in question turned around and stuck his tongue out at Jaemin and Jeno, but they merely exchanged a look and chuckled.

“Wait, are we almost there?” Chenle asked for the final time, because they were indeed _almost there._ They were pulling into the gravel driveway outside of the cabins, and Jeno was quick to tell Chenle that he was finally correct. “Oh my god, I can’t believe it!”

The bus rolled to a stop and Chenle grabbed his day backpack from under his seat as to his left, Jeno did the same. “You ready?” Jeno asked as Chenle swung it around onto one of his shoulders.

“So ready!” Chenle grinned, and then Jeno nudged his shoulder.

“Race you to the cabins?”

He was _so_ on.

 

 

⚓ ⚓ ⚓ ⚓ ⚓ ⚓ ⚓

 

There was an adult standing before one of the cabins, dressed in a full ranger uniform. He was obviously waiting for the bus, ready for the flood of boys racing at full tilt towards him. This year, however, there was a man in civilian clothes next to him.

“Hey, Woojin hyung!” Jeno cheered when he came trotting up to the pair. “Nice to see you!”

“Hey, Jeno! Good to have you back!” Woojin gave Jeno his usual soft smile as Chenle pulled to a stop next to the now-trio. “Hello, I’m Woojin. You must be Chenle.”

“I am,” Chenle replied, and Woojin nodded before he was distracted by other campers appearing with their bags.

“Chenle, right?” It was a new voice, and Jeno and Chenle turned at the same time. “I’m Donghyuck, but some call me Haechan. Most don’t, though.” He was the same height as Chenle, but his hair was vibrant pink while Chenle’s hair was deeper lavender.

“I’m Renjun!” Donghyuck’s companion said, and Chenle found himself liking Renjun already.

“And I’m Jisung.” He was tall, taller than Chenle, who found himself finding Jeno's description of him remarkably accurate already. With that, all the campers had been introduced to the newcomer, and the only one Chenle hadn’t met was Woojin’s friend, the non-ranger.

“Hi, I’m Chenle,” he said, and the man smiled at him. Looking at him now, he wasn’t actually too many years older than Chenle, and he found himself calmed by the other’s presence for some reason. It probably had to do something with how Hyunjin was the only one besides Woojin not freaking out at the moment.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Hyunjin!” Chenle adjusted the way his backpack was lying on his shoulder, and Hyunjin couldn’t help but realize that _this_ was one of the reasons Woojin had asked him to work with him for the camp, that this meeting was one of the moments that would make all the future chaos worth it.

“Hey,” Jeno said. He’d reappeared beside Chenle, all high shoulders and high expectations. “We’re going to stay in this cabin here— the NCT cabin. No one really remembers what it stands for, so we like to make up names for it….” At this, Jeno glanced around, “after curfew.”

“I won’t tell.” It was Mark, coming up from behind them with his hair yet unruffled (it wouldn’t remain so for long). “Come on, I’m your babysitter again, so let’s get your bags inside.”

“Babysitter! More like you’re going to sit around with your baby whenever you can.” Chenle chuckled as Mark blushed, before shooing the pair along. “Now, are you ready for the best and simultaneously worst weeks of your life?” Jeno asked, and Chenle swallowed under the attention.

“Hopefully for the better,” Chenle said, exhaling his nerves out with his breath.

“Hopefully,” Jeno replied, and then they crossed the threshold of the cabin.

Camp had officially started.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry it's mostly set-up this time, the next chapter will have things actually starting.
> 
> credits to whoever guesses what bus they're on + a one-shot if you'd like :D


End file.
